VIO-LENCE Announces New Lineup For 'Oppressing The Masses' 2025 European Tour

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans VIO-LENCE have announced their lineup for their upcoming "Oppressing The Masses" European tour.

Recent additions to VIO-LENCE are former FALLING IN REVERSE guitarist Max Georgiev, bassist Jeff Salgado (PSYCHOSOMATIC),drummer Nick Souza (HATRIOT) and returning to VIO-LENCE is guitarist Ira Black.

VIO-LENCE frontman Sean Killian said: "I‘m very excited to have been able to play with great musicians since the return of VIO-LENCE. That trend continues."

VIO-LENCE will be performing the entire "Oppressing The Masses" album, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this summer. The set will also include songs from the band's back catalog.

"Oppressing The Masses" tour dates:

April 10 - Backstage Bar & Billiards - Las Vegas, NV
April 11 - The Teragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA
April 17 - Underworld - London, England
April 18 - Castle And Falcon - Birmingham, England
April 19 - Blitz - Preston, England
April 20 - Slay - Glasgow, Scotland
April 21 - Opium - Dublin, Ireland
April 22 - The Live Rooms - Chester, England
April 23 - Corporation - Sheffield, England
April 24 - The Patriot - Crumlin, Wales
April 25 - Keep It True Fest, Königshofen Germany
April 26 - Sala X - Sevilla, Spain
April 27 - Porta Caeli - Valladolid, Spain
April 29 - Sala Boveda - Barcelona, Spain
April 30 - Urban Rock Concept - Vitoria, Spain
May 01 - Revi Live - Madrid, Spain
May 02 - Sala Rebullon - Mos, Spain
May 03 - Rca Club - Lisbon, Portugal
May 09 - Diggers - Bahrain

Former FEAR FACTORY bassist Christian Olde Wolbers announced his departure from VIO-LENCE last month. He explained in a social media statement at the time that he wanted "to pursue my own new solo band and producing career."

VIO-LENCE released three studio albums between 1988 and 1993. The group reformed soon after founding VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel acrimoniously left MACHINE HEAD more than six years ago.

VIO-LENCE released a new EP, "Let The World Burn", in March 2022 via Metal Blade Records.

Formed in 1985, VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they reformed briefly a couple of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time going concern once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet started to think about new music and delivered "Let The World Burn", showcasing their first new material in 29 years.

Filling out the band's ranks on "Let The World Burn" alongside Killian and Demmel were drummer Perry Strickland, Olde Wolbers and former OVERKILL guitarist Bobby Gustafson.

Killian is the only VIO-LENCE member from the "Let The World Burn" recording lineup who is still touring with the band. Joining him at some of the band's recent concerts were drummer Nick Souza and guitarists Mario Salcedo and Pat O'Brien (EXHORDER, ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE).

"Let The World Burn" was recorded with Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios (TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS),with mixing handled by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MESHUGGAH) and Grammy Award-winning engineer Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES, PANTERA).

Demmel left MACHINE HEAD at the end of the band's fall 2018 North American tour. He was in MACHINE HEAD for nearly 16 years, during which time he played on five of the group's studio albums: "Through The Ashes Of Empires" (2003),"The Blackening" (2007),"Unto The Locust" (2011),"Bloodstone & Diamonds" (2014) and "Catharsis" (2018).

Demmel's final concert with VIO-LENCE took place on February 11, 2024 at Carioca Club in São Paulo, Brazil. The gig also marked the last show of VIO-LENCE's Latin American tour with EXHORDER.

VIO-LENCE played the São Paulo concert as a four-piece after an alleged altercation between Black and Olde Wolbers resulted in Ira being sent home from the tour a few days early.

Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE's classic incarnation and played on the band's debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", he wasn't approached about taking part in the band's reunion.

Photo credit: Devil Presley